No. I think the quality of public education is pretty much staying the same as its always been

I think the quality of public school education is on the rise

It depends on the State

Undecided
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Yes - it is definitely declining.

16 votes

59%

No. I think the quality of public education is pretty much staying the same as its always been

1 vote

4%

I think the quality of public school education is on the rise

1 vote

4%

It depends on the State

6 votes

22%

Undecided

3 votes

11%

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Throughout my professional career I have interviewed countless people applying for entry level positions, technical positions, managerial positions. I have noticed a sharp decline in grammar, spelling, etc. Many, if not most applicants have had a public school education. Some, right out of high school and many, too many, right out of colleges - can't spell and don't know the basics of grammar.

More and more, I have encountered parents who are enrolling their children in private schools. I know many people who have enrolled their children in Christian schools, Jewish Yeshivahs, Scientology schools, and have told me that it is not necessarily for the religious education, but the quality of basic education. Some have said that with the budget cuts, the quality of public education has deteriorated to such an extent, that they do not feel that their children, educated in public schools, will be prepared to enter college.

This article says that "Americans are provided with public education, but the
quality of that education continues to decline. Education, which is the
foundation to everything needed to guarantee a country’s success, is being
systematically destroyed in America.
Education leads to progress. Education leads to innovation. Education leads to
understanding.."

And this article: "Americans barely reach the international literacy average
set by advanced democracies, according to a report issued by the Educational
Testing Service after looking at the International Adult Literacy Survey
(IALS)....As the years go by, the United States slips down the list.
Americans educated in the sixties captured a Bronze Medal in literacy, those
schooled in the seventies got 5th place in the race. But those schooled in the
nineties ranked 14th

According to the most recent report by the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), private schools have enjoyed a steady increase in
enrollment, climbing by 18 percent between 1988 and 2001 — and enrollment rates
are expected to continue to rise by at least another 7 percent by 2013! Public
school enrollment rose by about the same rate (19 percent) but is expected to
continue to rise by only 4 percent."

"The growing popularity of private schools is driven primarily by the
research-backed belief that private and charter schools provide a better
education, better structure, and better discipline than public schools. The
desire to seek the best education for our children has even sparked political
movements nationwide that seek to create voucher systems enabling all families
to choose the schools their children attend, regardless of their income level
or location."

Do you believe that public education in the US is declining? Why is that and what are the alternatives?

I feel that kids today are more interested in peer groups and "chatting" with one another than they used to be. They don't seem to have "alone" time so much, and don't read books unless they're set by their school english class. Spelling and grammar are learned from reading: you instinctively pick up how sentences are phrased and how to spell words. But kids are distracted now by things we never had: video games and texting etc.
Perhaps literacy skills won't be needed much in the future. Perhaps kids are learning technical skills that they will need for the jobs of the future, and we're worrying too much about a "problem" that isn't a problem any more. It's a very complex issue.

We don't have the best teachers.I believe it's do to the unions.kids today get away with too much in school.The way they dress,too many distractions,like cell phones and ipods.
kids need to have rules and regulations.I don't think they do.

I look at my kids ..and what they have learned in high school..and college...

The education is there...if they want it......but most kids are not pushed to learn by their families...how many parents talk to the teachers....how many check their kids homework...to at least make sure they are trying to do it... We have some middle eastern immigrants at the local high school...the kids do very well...tops in their classes...and talking with the parents.....education comes first...video games do not take priority...they think most american kids are just lazy...not guided....and they are painfully...probably right..

.I think its a parenting problem...more than a school thing...

Kids with ZERO respect for teachers....kids who constantly disrupt classrooms,making very hard for the other kids to learn..

Because students are thirsting to learn many want to purse a career in fashion, music, or sports and although having such dreams is not a bad thing because having a positive goal is great, many may and often do ignore education in their quest for their goal. Then also, you have many teachers only becoming a teacher solely for the paycheck and nothing else.

Ten years ago or so, there was a factory down in Georgia that made skin for aircraft. They came in and wanted something like 1200 employees at once and more later. They wanted to take High School Grads who could read blueprints and new Fractions. They couldn't find that many!!! Superintendent said that it wasn't High Schools job to ready kids for Jobs that was for college to do???? But the worst I saw was on Jay Lino while picking High Schoolers on the street asked one about the Alamo and she said it was King Tuts Tomb!!!.

When I went to school you either studied, or repeated that grade. You learned quickly that you did not want to repeat a grade and fall out of touch with your peers. That is no longer the case.

When I went to school, we were taught songs and skits to put on holiday performances in front of the entire school as well as the parents. This taught us how to speak publicly and also taught us about different cultures throughout the world. This is no longer the case as many schools have abandoned programs all together or risk offending the easily offended. My son will be in second grade soon and has never been on stage or had to speak in front of a crowd, nor has he learned about other cultures around the world other than american and African american history.

We learned about dinosaurs, there were 9 planets, we were allowed to have best friends, we were taught instead of pushed through the system because of a "no child left behind" law, Bullies eventually got their butts kicked and we learned how to deal with our problems ourselves.

When I was in school the rich kids sat next to the poor kids in class and didn't pass just because daddy gave the school a donation. They worked just as hard as we did.

When I was in school my teacher lite a cigarette, in class, and stuck it into ...

When I went to school you either studied, or repeated that grade. You learned quickly that you did not want to repeat a grade and fall out of touch with your peers. That is no longer the case.

When I went to school, we were taught songs and skits to put on holiday performances in front of the entire school as well as the parents. This taught us how to speak publicly and also taught us about different cultures throughout the world. This is no longer the case as many schools have abandoned programs all together or risk offending the easily offended. My son will be in second grade soon and has never been on stage or had to speak in front of a crowd, nor has he learned about other cultures around the world other than american and African american history.

We learned about dinosaurs, there were 9 planets, we were allowed to have best friends, we were taught instead of pushed through the system because of a "no child left behind" law, Bullies eventually got their butts kicked and we learned how to deal with our problems ourselves.

When I was in school the rich kids sat next to the poor kids in class and didn't pass just because daddy gave the school a donation. They worked just as hard as we did.

When I was in school my teacher lite a cigarette, in class, and stuck it into a little man looking machine that smoked it so we could see what our lungs would look like afterwards. After gagging for a while, most kids decided to NEVER try one.

The education system is failing because too many people decided to sugar coat the lives of our children instead of teaching them that, yes, we're all different, speak different, are raised different, believe in different religions, learn on different levels, some of us are smart, some of you are destined to never get it, but that's ok. Work hard, love your fellow man and make something of yourself, but you MUST work hard to get to where you want to be. Take the pacifiers out of their mouths and teach them about the world, for what it is, the way it is, and the way they need to be if they ever want to change the world.

I think Ozy's point is that your sentence doesn't make sense. No offense, Sister, but it is poorly written. Given that the poll discusses this very subject, my guess is that he thought you were being ironic, which I can see.